Here’s the thing: you’ve reached middle age and you’ve maintained your fitness levels just like when you were in your twenties. Yay! But wait a minute, why are your clothes and workout gear feeling tighter! How is this possible?
You’re not alone! In fact a recent study by Swedish and French scientists published in the journal, Nature Medicine, showed that as people age, their bodies don’t metabolize fat cells as well as when they were younger.
The study examined 54 men and women with an average age of 38 over a 13 year period. Every single participant saw a decrease in lipid turnover making it easier to gain weight. Those who didn’t adjust their calorie intake saw an average weight gain of 20 per cent of their body weight during those years.
In an article published by the Karolinska Institutet, one of the main authors of the lipid study, Dr. Peter Arner said “The results indicate for the first time that processes in our fat tissue regulate changes in body weight during aging in a way that is independent of other factors.”
But don’t think you can’t fight back! Another study published in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise concluded that high intensity interval training (HIIT) was better than moderate exercise for controlling middle age spread.
